Cost of Living Comparison Between Solothurn and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Solothurn and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,801 in Solothurn versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,577 in Solothurn versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,353 in Solothurn versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Solothurn is roughly 13% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Solothurn 103% above, Barcelona 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.41 CHF 24.82

$18.42 €15.88

65.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 122

$69.4 €59.8

115.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.46 CHF 15.06

$14.05 €12.11

31.39%

Cappuccino

$6.68 CHF 5.45

$3.11 €2.68

114.79%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 CHF 4.60

$2.96 €2.55

90.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 CHF 4.37

$1.95 €1.69

174.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 CHF 5.65

$3.99 €3.44

73.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.23 CHF 5.08

$4.62 €3.98

34.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.82

$1.32 €1.14

68.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 CHF 3.12

$2.11 €1.82

81.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.88

$1.83 €1.57

92.90%

Eggs

$8.83 CHF 7.20

$5.16 €4.45

71.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.83 CHF 18.63

$17.56 €15.14

30.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.51 CHF 21.64

$9.50 €8.19

179.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$61.7 CHF 50.3

$19.93 €17.18

209.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.41

$3.17 €2.73

-6.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CHF 1.18

$2.21 €1.91

-34.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.87

$2.61 €2.25

34.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CHF 3.45

$2.85 €2.46

48.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 CHF 1.36

$2.17 €1.87

-23.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.45

$2.11 €1.81

-15.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 CHF 1.33

$1.62 €1.39

0.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 CHF 0.81

$0.88 €0.76

13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.32 CHF 9.24

$7.17 €6.18

57.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 CHF 10.87

$8.33 €7.18

59.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 CHF 2.36

$1.50 €1.29

92.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CHF 2.67

$2.75 €2.37

18.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.85 CHF 3.96

$3.14 €2.70

54.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 CHF 6.91

$3.22 €2.78

162.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.75 CHF 3.88

$1.51 €1.30

214.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$92.5 CHF 75.5

$35.26 €30.39

162.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 CHF 1.93

$1.75 €1.51

34.86%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$31.4K CHF 25.6K

$36.7K €31.6K

-14.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.2K CHF 29.5K

$31.7K €27.3K

14.18%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$98.0 CHF 80.0

$187 €161

-47.61%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$30.80 CHF 25.13

$15.10 €13.01

103.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 47.73

$37.60 €32.41

55.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.9 CHF 75.0

$55.5 €47.83

65.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 CHF 14.08

$16.74 €14.43

3.05%

Cinema Ticket

$18.52 CHF 15.11

$11.71 €10.09

58.16%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,692 CHF 3,013

$1,011 €871

265.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K CHF 15.9K

$17.1K €14.7K

13.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 117

$91.4 €78.8

56.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.91 CHF 35.84

$41.00 €35.34

7.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$171 CHF 139

$111 €95.3

54.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$258 CHF 210

$126 €109

104.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 CHF 980

$1,704 €1,469

-29.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 CHF 875

$1,299 €1,120

-17.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 CHF 1,519

$2,588 €2,231

-28.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,815 CHF 1,482

$1,929 €1,663

-5.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,687 CHF 7,906

$7,732 €6,665

25.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 CHF 4,089

$5,384 €4,641

-6.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,908 CHF 5,637

$2,374 €2,046

190.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

3.16

-34.49%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Solothurn: September 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,201 in Solothurn and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solothurn pays 191% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $149 in Solothurn vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $629 vs $333 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Solothurn vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solothurn and Barcelona differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,801 vs $2,482 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 191% higher in Solothurn, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,201 in Solothurn versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,692 in Solothurn versus $1,011 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $149 in Solothurn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Solothurn and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Solothurn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.